Road tripping in South Africa

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Hikers pass through Tsitsikama National Park, South Africa, near the end of the famed Garden Route.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Far from the crowds and traffic on South Africa's much-vaunted coastal Garden Route is a stunning inland alternative that passes unnoticed by most visitors.

Route 62 - which evokes comparisons with legendary Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles - starts just outside Cape Town and runs to the city of Port Elizabeth. It winds through scenic spa towns, vineyards and fruit farms, mountains and floral feasts - and the Ostrich Capital of the World.

It's possible to combine Route 62 and the Garden Route, named after its dense and lush vegetation, for a truly unforgettable journey.

Instead of taking the N2 highway from Cape Town to George (a journey of about five hours) as most tourists do - go on the N1 highway to Worcester and then follow the inland route to George. It's shorter and infinitely more beautiful, and you only miss a small part of the Garden Route. The road can be covered in a few hours, but it's worth lingering for a few days.

Here are some of the highlights:

Worcester and Robertson are both wine and fruit growing centers in the Breede River valley. The wine farms are magnificent. A short detour from Robertson is the village of McGregor, at the foot of the Riviersonderend Mountains, prized by artists and wealthy South Africans.

Montagu is surrounded by amazing rock formations and is a beautiful base for mountain biking and hiking. It boasts wonderful hot springs that stay open late at night.

Calitzdorp, known for its port wines, and Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital, lie a couple of hours farther down this scenic road. Oudtshoorn is a bustling tourist center because of its ostriches, prized for their tough leather and low-cholesterol meat. Several farms offer tours and - for the brave - ostrich rides.

We were pampered for a night at the Rietfontein Ostrich Palace Hotel near Calitzdorp and enjoyed exceptional food and lodging at reasonable prices.

The awe-inspiring Cango Caves lie about 30 minutes from Oudtshoorn. If you're relatively fit and don't have claustrophobia, try the 90-minute ‘‘adventure'' tour through the ‘‘Tunnel of Love'' and ‘‘Devils Chimney.'' Otherwise, just take the standard walking visit and marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites.

Beyond the caves lies the formidable Swartberg Pass, which winds precipitously down to the hamlet of Prince Albert. (A road from there leads through total isolation in the Karoo desert to Gamkaskloof, or "The Hell"). It's worth a detour if you have time. If not, don't worry as the scenery also is amazing on the Outeniqua Pass down from Oudtshoorn to the coastal town of George. Even better is the spectacular untarred Prince Alfred's Pass linking Oudtshoorn with Plettenberg Bay.

George is one of the main tourist hubs on the Garden Route. South Africa's last remaining passenger steam train, the Outeniqua Cho Tjoe, runs between Mossel Bay, the first town on the Garden Route, and George. Some visitors only go as far as George and then return to Cape Town, missing out on the loveliest parts of the route.

The other two big attractions are the towns of Plettenberg Bay, with a beautiful beach and a ‘‘big resort'' feel about it, and Knysna - very busy, but scenic with highly recommended outings to the Featherbed nature reserve.

Near the end of the Garden Route is arguably its most beautiful part - Tsitsikamma National Park, a stretch of ruggedly beautiful coastline frequented by whales and dolphins and bordered by indigenous forests.

AP